Timbercon Inc. – Timbercon Earns a Spot on Inc’s 5000 List for the 4th Year in a Row

University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences – Moving Holograms: From Science Fiction to Reality

Fourth Quarter 2010 Industry News Summary

From advancements in 3-D technology to prestigious awards and new business relationships, the end of 2010 continued to demonstrate the rebound of the optics and photonics industry and the instrumental role that OSA corporate members played in it.

Focus on Applications

Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences have developed a new type of holographic telepresence that allows the projection of a three-dimensional, moving image without the need for special eyewear such as 3-D glasses or other auxiliary devices. The technology is likely to take applications ranging from telemedicine, advertising, updatable 3-D maps and entertainment to a new level.

Business Partnerships and Agreements

Precision Photonics Corp. has announced the expansion of its Boulder, Colo.-based manufacturing facility. Approximately 5,000 square feet will be added to its current production facility in order to accommodate new personnel and new manufacturing and metrology equipment brought on during the past several months.
The new addition to the manufacturing space will help further increase fabrication and coating capacity and improve the overall flow of production processes.

Rochester Precision Optics (RPO) has acquired Molded Plastic Optics (MPO), a leading designer and manufacturer of molded plastic optics for commercial and defense markets. With this acquisition, Molded Plastic Optics (MPO) will become the Plastic Optics Division of Rochester Precision Optics.

Awards and Accolades

Fiber optic product and solution manufacturer Timbercon, Inc. has been named for the fourth year in a row to Inc. Magazine’s 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. For 2010, Timbercon was ranked as number 3,316. According to Inc. Magazine, companies are ranked according to their percentage revenue growth from 2006 through 2009.

Breault Research Organization was named 2010 Small Business Innovator of the Year by the Arizona Governor's Celebration of Innovation (GCOI) award committee for its multiyear development and June 2010 release of APEX®, an optical engineering software application that is fully integrated with the industry-standard SolidWorks® 3-D CAD software. APEX is a leap forward in optical software, and will provide optical, mechanical, and other types of engineers a user-friendly, CAD-based tool for the design and analysis of complex optical and illumination systems.

Dynasil Corporation of America is ranked number two on the 2010 list of New Jersey’s 50 Fastest Growing Companies. The NJBIZ 50 Fastest Growing Companies awards program celebrates New Jersey's most dynamic companies who progressively contribute to the success of the state's economic growth and stability. To qualify, companies have to meet selection criteria that include a revenue size of at least $500,000 within the past three out of four years and revenue growth over a four-year period, dating from fiscal year 2006 to 2009. Dynasil was ranked number 29 on the 2009 list.

GigOptix Inc. was awarded a U.S.-Israel Bi-national Industrial Research & Development (BIRD) Foundation grant to develop low power, highly integrated components and modules for next generation 40Gb/s and 100Gb/s communication systems. The grant will initially help fund the development of a Small Form Factor (SFF) 40Gb/s RZ-DQPSK transponder. GigOptix will develop an integrated 40Gb/s RZ-DQPSK optical modulator and the corresponding broadband amplifiers to drive the modulator.